Sour Cherries
by The Eighth Homonculus
Summary: The leprechaun flew! This story was started over. Go to "Scarlet and Gold" to continue the action! Or you can read this one too? :3
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yay!! This is the very first installment of "Sour Cherries", my Full Metal Alchemist fanfic (but you knew that)!! So I want to get a few things straight right here.**

**This story follows the MANGA/FMA BROTHERHOOD!! if it didn't it wouldn't make any sense at all xD**

**Yush, it might be confusing at first. This is around the eighth time I've rewritten the beginning, so my editor (luv ya, Foot-chan!!) knows it inside and out, so I never get a "I don't get..?" or "Could you elaborate on...?" anymore.**

**I sincerely hope Naida (my main girl) is NOT a Mary-Sue. Could you guys tell me if she is? Cuz if so I'll start over. I sincerely hate those creatures. ^^**

**Regarding Aure: His full name is Aureolus, but Naida just calls him Aure, which is pronounced "ah-ree" **

**I apologize for the long A/N. I'll get on with it.**

**ARIGHT, LET'S DO DIS!!!**

* * *

**Location: Central city**

**Year: 1910**

**Age: 9 years**

Riza Hawkeye set her small suitcase near the door of her apartment, then headed back into her bedroom to get her gun. Attaching the holster to her belt, she made her way back to the main hall.

Having set my suitcase next to hers, I crossed my arms defiantly and looked up at her. "I'm coming too."

"But Lieutenant!" I whined, following her down the apartment hallway.

"I told you not to call me that." Lieutenant Hawkeye continued walking as she talked. "And you can't come. You're to stay with Lieutenant Colonel Hughes until Lieutenant Colonel Mustang and I get back."

"Bu-"

"Naida." She stopped walking, exasperated. "You are not allowed to leave Central. Those are orders _directly from the Fuhrer._ We couldn't take you even if we wanted to."

"Hey!" I cried. When she stayed silent, I set my jaw in to the pout we both new it would be in until I got my way. Which at this rate, might take awhile. "It's like Uncle Bradley's trying to hold me captive. . ." I muttered to no one in particular.

We made our way outside, where Lieutenant Colonel Mustang was waiting for us with the military car. They would drive me to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes's house, then on to whatever mission they were on now. Mustang gave us a "Hello, ladies!" and graciously opened a back door for me.

"Mmph." I nodded quietly as I climbed in, scowling.

He chuckled. "Well someone's in a good mood today." I didn't respond.

The adults took the front seats, with Mustang driving. When we started moving, he tried to cut the silence my bad mood had created, adjusting the mirror to focus on my face. "So, what's wrong with the military brat?"

That was too much. Something snapped in me. "I am _not_ a military brat, and you know it! I'm just the niece of a country's leader who got put under military protection because. . . because . . ." I was near tears now.

Hawkeye came to my rescue. "Please leave Naida alone, sir. You know what could happen if. . ." If I freaked out much: instant loss of a job. "She's upset because she can't come with us."

The Lieutenant Colonel's mirror focused on my face again. "Why would you want to go out into the middle of nowhere with us just to find an alchemist?"

I didn't hear him. My little outburst had thrown me back to five years ago, when I lost everything dear to me because of those eight horrible people. No – not people – monsters. I stared out the window unseeingly, clutching the red stone pendant around my neck, lost in my own personal hell.

When I didn't answer, he shrugged and the mirror focused back on the road.

Silence engulfed the rest of the ride.

"Ya know, Roy," Lieutenant Colonel Hughes picked up my suitcase for me. "Gracia just got pregnant. She doesn't really need this little ball of stress right now." He pointed a thumb in my direction.

"Hey!!" I cried, peeved. I hated it when people call me little.

Mustang shrugged, getting back into the car. "Then you watch her. It's your job, after all." Translation: You're the one who'll lose your job if anything happens to the kid.

Lieutenant Hawkeye put a hand on my head, ruffling m hair. "Don't worry, we'll be back soon.

That's when I totally lost it, hugging her leg and sobbing into it. "The. . . the last t-time someone said that t-to me. . . s-she . . . neber came back!"

The adults were silent, but I could tell they were giving me pitying looks. Hughes circled around the car and leaned in the window to have a whispered conversation with Mustang, while Lieutenant Hawkeye attempted to turn off the waterworks.

The men came over, Mustang getting out if the car. "Naida." I turned to Hughes, rubbing an eye as he spoke. "You can go with them."

"Reall-?"

"If," Mustang cut off my squeal of joy, "you promise not to be seen by anyone in the military, you don't tell _anyone_ we let you come, and," Mustang smirked, "you don't throw things when people call you short."

I forced myself not to throw everything I could find in my pockets at him. "I promise."

"Alright." Mustang sighed. "Into the car, then."

As we drove away, I wiped the tears out of my eyes and looked out the back window at Hughes waving and waved back, giving him a thumbs-up.

Our plan had worked.

I settled back in my seat and leaned back, settling my hand around the pendant I always wore. I listened for a second, then giggled quietely. "Because, Aure, due to my condition, they think I'm five."

I peeked over the front seat at the map in Lieutenant Hawkeye's hands.

"We're going to Resembool?!"

"Yep." Mustang answered, his eyes still on the road. "There are rumors about anextremely skilled alchemist in the area. We're to find him and recruit hom into the military as a State Alchemist."

An extremely skilled alchemist in Resembool? Could it be . . . ? I listened for a second, then answered the voice only I could hear quietely. "I know he wouldn't join them, Aure. You'd have to kill him first. Which would be _really_ hard." In a louder voice I adressed the Lieutenant Colonel. "What's his name?"

"Edward Elric."

"Edward Elric. . ." So it wasn't who I'd thought, but something about the name was familiar. Where had I heard it before?

I sat mulling over all the people I had come to know in my life for the rest of the trip, trying to find a match. Aure couldn't remember, either, but he agreed he'd heard it before.

So I didn't notice the landscape become more rural, the houses spreading farther apart, the sheep appearing more and more ofter. Until we stopped in front of. . .

A way too familiar house.

"Is this. . .?"

"This is it. The home of Edward Elric and his younger brother.

"But it's. . ." I murmered, then the name slid into place. This was the house of a man named Van Hoenheim, the man I owed my life to and had lived with here for almost a year. And Edward Elric was his older son.

I had never actually met Edward or his younger brother, Alphonse. They had left to train in alchemy a year before Hoenheim brought me here. I remembered Mr. Hoenheim heartbroken to find his wife dead and children gone, children just a bit older than me.

Edward was. . . two years older than me? Which would make him eleven. Was he really so skilled as to become a State Alchemist already?

" 'But it's' what?" The Lieutenant Colonel looked down at me questioningly.

I laughed nervously. "Well, it's just, I dunno, quiet? It seems to peaceful for alchemists to be around."

Mustang gave me an annoyed look, obviously trying to not take that as an insult. He headed to the door, and Hawkeye and I followed. We knocked, but no one answered, so we tried to door. It was open. We went inside.

"Hello?" I called, heading down the hallway. Mustang followed me and Hawkeye went in the other direction. The Lieutenant Colonel tried each door, but I headed for one in particular, the one at the end of the hallway. The reason?

I smelled blood.

**location:** **resembool**

**year: ****1910**

**age: ****9 years**

I stood stock-still in the doorway, taking it in. Mustang came up behind me. He stared for a second, then shouted "What the hell is this?!" He turned to Lieutenant Hawkeye, who had come up behind him. "I want him found, _now_!"

With that he stalked out of the building, the Lieutenant and I following at his heels.

"Lieutenant Colon-"

"Naida, get in the car!" He said, cutting me off.

"But I . . . " I tried to finish, stopping and standing still. They continued on, heading to the next house over. "Right." I headed for the car, the sat with the door open and my feet dangling out. "That was a . . . " I muttered, clutching at the red stone pendant around my neck.

I heard shouting inside. No doubt the Lieutenant Colonel had found who he was looking for.

Deep in thought, I didn't notice a blonde girl come out to examine the car. She poked around in a sad sort of way, as if she was just trying to occupy herself. Peeking into my open door, she cried "Naida?!"

Noticing her for the first time, I looked up. "Winry!"

"What are you doing here?" Winry asked as I hopped out of the car to give her a hug. She returned it. "Are you here with," she paused, her face falling. "Those military people?"

"Well . . ." We headed up to the steps of her house to sit down. "Remember the last time that I was here, I was running away from my, um, grandfather?"

Winry nodded.

"Well, he caught me, and now I'm under 'protection' of the military. Which is more like being captive, but the people in charge of me don't know that."

"Why the military, though?"

I frowned. "Because they're pretty much in charge of the country, so I can't get away from them. And the Fuhrer," I leaned in close to whisper the last part in her ear, "is my uncle."

Winry's eyes widened. "You never told me that!"

I leaned back, putting my hands behind my head, green-gold eyes closed. "It's nothing important."

Winry frowned at me, as if to say, "Of course it is!" I could feel the look on me, but ignored it. She let out an annoyed sigh, then rapped my right knee. It made an odd metallic noise, a bit muffled by my trousers.

"So, how's your automail? You would need it fixed up by now, right?" To my annoyance, she ruffled my red hair. "You must've grown a bit since last time?"

I scowled, opening my eyes. "You know about my condition. So don't mock my height!"

"No, I meant is as a compliment, dummy!"

"Well, I did grow a bit." I said proudly.

"Good! Cuz for being nine, you could still pass for five."

"Hey!!" I cried, shaking a fist at her.

She laughed. "So how about that automail?"

"Well see, I don't have time to get it fixed up here. We're supposed to leave soon, and I'm not allowed to leave Central." At her questioning look obviously wanting to know how I was here, then, I added, "Snuck out." I grinned. "And if I had new automail, they'd know I left. So not today."

"So you'll walk around with one leg shorter than the other?" She asked skeptically.

"Actually I . . ." I didn't really want to tell her this, but, "I have a mechanic in Central."

"WHAT?!" She cried, hopping up to stand and glaring down at me. "You're letting someone mess with my automail?!"

"Ah, no, no!!" I held up my hands above my head to block the inevitable flying wrench. "It's just until I'm allowed to leave the capital, then I'll come back here, I promise!" I needed to change the subject. Jumping to my feet, I said, "Can we go visit Trisha?"

Winry's face fell from anger to holding back tears in an instant.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stepping forward. She hadn't been like this a few months ago, when we frequently visited the grave of Mr. Hoenheim's wife. Definitely sad, but not like this. "Me and Aure just wanted to pay our respects-"

"Aure isn't even real!" She cried out suddenly. "He's just your imaginary friend, Naida! You're such a baby sometimes!" I tried to speak, but she cut me off. "And don't even say that Ed and Al's dad talks to him too! He was just playing along because you act like you're as old as you look!!" With that she flew back into her house, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Aure is . . ." I stood at the bottom of the steps, hurt and confused. Then it all snapped into place.

Eleven-year-old alchemist home for the first time in years.

Dead mother.

The transmutation circle we had just found on their floor, spattered with blood.

_Oh. Crap._

I stood at the top of the hill, looking down at the tombstone. "Hi, Trisha."I listened for a second. "Aure, you can talk louder, no one's around."

"You sure?" A man's voice emanated from the red stone pendant around my neck.

"Yep. Absolutely no one." as an after though, I added "except Trisha."

I sat down in the grass, wrapping my arms around my knees. "Have you ever heard of a soul attachment, before?"

"Hm? Ah, no!" Aure said quickly, sounding nervous. "Where did you hear about it, squirt?"

Aure was the only one I ever let call me small. "When the Lieutenant Colonel was shouting at Edward a few hours ago. And I was reading about them the other day. You can attach souls to objects, and the souls can control the objects and move around by themselves." I paused, building up the courage to ask. "Do you think we could-"

"No."

"Huh? But-"

"I said no."

"But Aure, we could finally get you out of that damned Philosopher's Stone! And you could have a sort-of body and people could know you exist and-"

"Naida, you know I'm not the only soul in here." Aure sounded angry.

"But you're not part of the stone, only attached! We still have a chance-"

"Naida, I said no." He sighed. "You know what happened the last time we messed with the stone . . ."

"Yeah, I started growing again." I muttered.

"_And_ lost your right leg!"

"That doesn't count! It had nothing to do with the transmutation, Gluttony ate it!"

"No is no."

"Hmph!" Why did the person I considered my father have to be so damn _stubborn?! _It was in _his _best interest, after all . . .

I hopped up from my seat and looked around. No one, still. Good.

I clapped my hands together and set them on the ground and there was a flash of light. When the light cleared, there was a flower in the center of a bare patch where there had been grass a second earlier.

I shrugged and picked up the flower. I set it on Trisha's grave, then headed back to the car.

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**Thanks for reading!!! Arigato gozaimasu!!! Reviews, plz!! =3**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: My little brother's petting my fanfic notebook as I type this... -_-lll**

**ARIGHT, LET'S DO DIS!!!**

* * *

**location: Central**

**year: 1911**

**Age: 10 years**

I opened the door to Colonel Mustang's office and stepped in just as he hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" I asked uninterestedly, flopping onto the couch and picking up the alchemy book from where I had left it on the armrest earlier.

"That was Edward Elric."

"Really?!" I was across the room at his desk before my sent-flying book hit the floor. "What did he want?"

Mustang smirked at my antics. "He's coming to Central to take the State Alchemists' exam."

"He is?" I clapped my hands. "I can't wait! I won't be the only kid in the military anymore!"

"You're not in the military, Naida." the Colonel corrected. He got up to pick up my book that was still lying on the flor. "And you really shouldn't be reading books from Central Library. You know only State Alchemists are supposed to have acess to this stuff."

"It's not my fault you leave your pocketwatch and signature lying around." I took a silver pocketwatch and a folded piece of paaper out of my pocket and held them out to him, smirking. "With these I have acess to everything!"

The Colonel's eyes widened as he patted his pockets. "But I thought that was... Give me that!" He snatched the pocketwatch back, and I giggled.

Mustang sat back down at his desk and sighed. "You're going to be the reason I lose my job, Naida Bradley."

I frowned at my fake last name, even though I knew it was necessary. I just hated having the same last name as my bastard of an 'uncle'. I couldn't help tacking a 'Meiyou' on the end in my head.

"Hahah, maybe I will be." I grinned menacingly and took the book back from him, sitting on the couch again.

"Why do you take those books out, anyway? I didn't even know you could read."

"Stop teasing me! Of _course_ I can read!" I yelled at him.

"You're five. And as far as I know, you've never been to school."

Wrong and, well, that second statement was dead on. But you don't need school to learn! Momma and Aure taught me. "There're a lot of pictures in this one." I mumbled for the Colonel's benefit. _Let's hear it for acting!_ I though sarcastically. Hmph. Stupid 'condition.'

It was the day of Edward Elric's arrival in Central. I was waiting in the hallway of Lt. Hawkeye's apartment, bouncing up and down impatiently as Aure and I waited for her to get ready for work.

"Naida, calm down, you're making me dizzy." Aure said to me.

"You can't get dizzy. You're a rock!"

"That's what you think!" He sounded like he was going to hurl. Was that even possible??

"I didn't even know you could see out here."

"Yeah. When Dad separated the stone from you, he did a really good job of extracting my soul from it. But there was no where to put me, so I ended up still attached to the stone."

"Hah!" I cheered quietly. I wanted to yell it and punch the air in triumph, but Lt. Hawkeye would come over and I couldn't talk to Aure. Aure was my secret. "So you _did _know about soul attachments!"

I'm sure Aure was silently cursing my good memory. That discussion had been over a year ago. "I'm _not_ letting you attach my soul to something else!"

"Hmph." I knew there was no reasoning with him, so I changed the subject. "So why do you call Mr. Hoenheim 'Dad', anyway? You're not related, are you?"

"Well, he took me in when I was only six, after..." he paused for a second, as if the memory pained him. "...after everyone died."

"Yeah, but he's not your dad."

"But I started to see him that way. I shouldn't call him that anymore, though. He has real sons now."

"Mm." Hypocrite. He and Momma had adopted me when I was three, but Aure had never let me call him 'Daddy'.

The Lieutenant stepped into the hallway, all ready. "Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yep!" Finially!

I sat in the back seat of the military car, arms crossed, pout in place. I ignored Havoc, who was the only other one in the car, driving. The intensely unfair scene I had just witnessed played back in my head:

_"So," I ran up to Colonel Mustang's desk, placing my palms flat on the edge. "When are we going to pick Edward Elric up at the train station?"_

_ "He stood up, pulling his coat on. "Now."_

_ "Yes!" I punched the air in excitement._

_ "But you..."_

_ "Huh?"_

_ "2__nd__ Lieutenant Havoc is taking you for ice cream."_

_ "WHAT?!" _

_ Havoc put a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, Nai. Colonel's orders." With that he steered me towards the door._

So now, while I was supposed to be meeting Edward Elric, I was instead being taken out for ice cream.

Man, they know my weak spot too well.

"So, what do you want?"

"Huh?" Still brooding, I had managed to get out of the car, follow Havoc into the ice cream parlor and get to the front of the line without even noticing, "Uhm, chocolate." As an afterthought I added, "with fudge."

He bought my ice cream and a cup of coffee for himself, then we sat down at a table.

"So, whaddas Mustahn' whanyoo ta tahk abouwht wif me?" I asked around mouthfuls of ice cream.

"How did you know?" Havoc smiled, taking a drag on his cigarette. Any other time I would have swiped it out of his mouth and stamped it out, but I was occupied.

"No 'un evah tayhks me owht fowh ishe cwream unlesh they wanoo tahk." I said, still focused on my ice cream.

"I guess that's true." He took another drag on his cigarette, but I was too ice cream obsessed to notice. "So, down to business?" He leaned his forearms on the table.

"Mmph." I nodded in approval, swallowing. "Shoot."

"So, you know about the Elric brothers' situation, right?"

I nodded. "You mean that the have body parts missing because they did hu-"

He held up a hand to stop me. "Yeah, that."

"What about it?"

"The Colonel promised Ed we'd keep it a secret. So I was told to ask you not to tell your uncle."

_Uncle Bradley?! _I wanted to yell. _Why would I tell him anything?! _ Instead I said, "Sure. My lips are sealed." I traced a finger across my lips, zipping them closed.

2nd Lieutenant Havoc smiled. "Good." I grinned, then unzipped my lips so I could finish my ice cream. I guess I didn't unzip them wide enough, because soon there was a cold blob of chocolate ice cream dripping down my chin. Havoc laughed and leaned over the table to wipe my face with a napkin. "Really, Naida, you're such a messy eater!"

My face turned red, embarrassed, as I swatted his hand away. "At least I don't suck on those stupid cancer sticks!"

"Cigarettes are an addiction!"

"So's ice cream!"

I promised myself I would never tell 'Uncle Bradley'. Human transmutation was illegal. The brothers could end up in jail, or even executed! And I had something I needed to ask Edward.

About soul attachments.

**E**veryone had managed to keep me as far away from Edward Elric as possible all day, so It wasn't until late afternoon when I caught my first glimpse of him.

All the higher-ups had been crowding into the balcony of a large room, so I went along with Colonel Mustang. We found a spot along the edge, and I stood on tiptoe to peek over the solid wood balcony rail.

He wore all black, looking even shorter than he probably was between two tall, blue-clad military men. Blonde hair made it halfway down his back In a neat braid. But what really got me was his eyes.

They were golden colored, with a flaming determination in them. I couldn't help whispering, "Just like Aure's!" In my head I corrected myself – Just like Mr. Hoenheim's, Edward's father's.

I was too busy focusing on Edward to notice the Fuhrer walk in, but I felt his presence. There was a sudden, respectful and also somewhat fearful silence. Most people would just think it was because he was the most powerful man in the military. I knew better.

They were talking down there, but I couldn't hear them, I was getting tired standing on tiptoe and was struggling to see over the balcony railing. Colonel Mustang must have noticed, because he picked me up from behind and set me on top of it, my feet dangling over a dizzying drop. "Better?" He asked, keeping a firm hold on my waist.

"Yep!" I answered. "Thanks."

Pros and Cons of Your Growth Being Five Years Behind You

Cons: too short to see over balconies l Pros: small enough to be lifted to see

We focused back on the scene below, where they were still talking, still inaudible from where we were. One of the military men said something, and Ed replied "Don't need it," as clear as day.

The blonde boy clapped his hands together and placed them on the floor. There was a flash of light, and he was transmuting a spear out of the ground.

Without a transmutation circle.

The military officials around me gasped, not only at the transmutation, but at the fact that Edward was charging at the Fuhrer with the spear.

Mustang let go off my waist in surprise, and because I had been leaning back enjoying the show...

I fell backwards.

My mind raced as I seemed to fall in slow motion. I could easily catch myself. Should I? Would that be a five year old thing to do? But it would-

**THUD!!!!**

EDWARD:

Edward paused, holding the spear a centimeter away from Fuhrer Bradley's face. Four military mans' guns were pointed at Ed's own head.

Suddenly there was a loud thud from above. Edward looked to the direction of the noise, as did everyone else.

A small red headed girl picked herself up off the ground of a balcony as carefully as she could with one hand. The other was holding her head, where she had hit the floor. Her green-gold eyes glistened with held-back tears from the pain as she glared at who else, but Colonel Roy Mustang.

She must have realized that every eye in the room was focused on her, save the Fuhrer's left one, which was covered by an eye patch, because she turned to look at everyone else. Her eyes caught Edward's for a second, then she turned and ran out, without a word.

NAIDA:

I ran blindly, just trying to get away. Somehow I ended up in front of the Fuhrer's office. I stepped in, closing the door behind me.

No one would be in here.

As soon as the doorknob clicked, a certain soul attached to a certain red necklace attacked me. "Why do you always have to cause a scene, Nai?"

I rubbed an eye that was dangerously close to overflowing. "It was the stupid Colonel's fault." Reaching up to touch the bump forming on my head, I poked it and whined, "Oww!"

His voice softened. "Are you okay, kiddo?"

"Yep, just embarrassed. And, ya know, having a slight concussion doesn't help."

"Sorry, Nai."

I poked my bump again and winced. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is." His voice sounded bitter. "It's my fault all of this happened to you. If I'd just said no when Lucinda wanted to take you in-"

"I'd be in an orphanage!"

"If I hadn't let her travel with me in the first place, then-"

"Wouldn't be different!"

"If I hadn't left you the day I lost my body."

_FLASHBACK:_

_Location: Central_

_Year: 1905_

_Age: 4 years_

_Naida pumped her legs furiously, swinging herself she got to the highest point the swing would go, she reached out her left hand to grab onto the moon. Her four fingers closed around thin air, and she brought her closed fist to her face to see if she caught it. Seeing her empty hand, she let out a cry of frustration and dug her heels into the ground to stop the swing._

_The small girl lurched forward a few steps and collapsed, laying flat on the ground facing up at the evasive moon._

_"Well, Mr. Moon, it's just you and me tonight," The four-year-old girl laughed. "No, it's just me, I guess. You don't listen. But I'm gonna talk to you, okay?" There was silence in the park that was void of life other than Naida. "Momma and Aure are off fighting again, And of course they left me by myself. I can't help. I'm a burden, but they never say it, cuz they're such good people. I'm glad they took me in when Grammy died." Another sad laugh, "But they didn't have much of a choice, did they? Momma's real__family, after all. I can't believe she's my great-grandmother, she looks younger than Grammy!"_

_Naida heard the sound of people coming her way and looked to the side, away from the cold moon that was, as usual, ignoring her._

_It was two kids, a boy and a girl. The boy looked around eight years old, with __short black hair. The girl looked around three and just like the boy with longer hair. His sister?_

_The girl was just about to jump on the swing Naida had abandoned when shen noticed the red-headed four-year-old. She came over, giving Naida a little nudge with her foot. The girl turned and called to the boy. "Brother! I found a girl!"_

_He came over, too. "Why're you on the ground?"_

_"I fell cuz I was dizzy from the swing." Naida lied._

_"Oh." He reached out a hand to help Naida up. She didn't wasnt to, but she took it and stood. "Where're your parents?"_

_"They're... at work."_

_"You're alone?"_

_"Yep, why-" Her eyes rolled up into her head and she lurched forward, falling on the boy. He caught her to see his sister in a fighting pose behind Naida. The small dark-haired girl laughed and transformed before the boy's eyes into a young man wearing all black with spikey, long dark hair._

_"This is her. Let's go, Pride." He said, taking the unconscious girl from the boy and slinging her over his back piggy-back style._

_"Naida!" Lucinda cried, seeing the girl being carried in by Envy. Lucinda was pinned to the wall by Lust's extended fingers. She started ripping at her fellow homonculus. "Let me go!"_

_Lust laughed coldly."Stay put, Ethics."_

_"Can I eat her?" asked Gluttony, walking towards Envy._

_"No." Said Father, who had a rather bored expression on his face as he fended off Aureolus's attacks. Aure was zooming around with inhuman and even fast for a homonculus speed, but he still couldn't land a blow on Father. "We need her." He reached out and caught Aureolus by the throat. "Aureolus Meiyou, do you remember __what happened the last time you opposed me?"_

_"How could I forget?" Aureoulus struggled, trying to pull off Father's fingers. His eyes slid to Lucinda. "You turned the person I love into a monster like me."_

_"So what makes you think I won't do it again?"_

_Aure laughed, but it turned into a cough in his constricted windpipe. "What'll you give her, then? Your Wisdom? Patience? You're already half what you could be, what with your Seven Deadly Sins and two of your six perfections gone."_

_"You see, that's the problem. There isn't enough of me to go around. So I'm just going to have to-" Father jabbed his other hand into Aure's chest. "-recycle!" He pulled his hand out, holding a Philosopher's Stone. Father let go of the blonde man's thraor, and Aure fell back._

_Golden eyes wide, Aure scrabbled at the bloodstained hole on his chest as his body disintegrated. He looked up and smiled bravely at his wife. "Lucinda... take care..."_

_"AUREOLUS!" Lucinda cried, breaking free of Lust. She ran to him, long red hair streaming out behind her. But by the time she got there, he was gone. "Aure... Aure..." Tears streamed from her green eyes._

_Lucinda's cries seemed to wake up Naida. "Wha..." She tried to sit up in Envy's arms. "Momma?" Naida saw her kneeling in front of a pool of blood. "Momma!" She kicked at Envy, trying to get free. Startled, Envy dropped her, and she ran to Lucinda._

_"Momma!" Ahe tugged at the red-headed woman's sleeve. "What's going on? Where are we? Why're you crying? Where's... Aure?"_

_Lucinda looked down at her. "Naida!" She tried to pull the little girl into a hug, but Envy swooped her up again._

_"Oh no you don't, you little brat." He hissed into her ear as she fought against his grip._

_"And now..." Father came towards them._

_"But shouldn't you-"_

_"No time."_

_Envy peeled back the bandage on Naida's forhead, and Father dropped the Philosopher's Stone. It liquified upon hitting the cut and sunk into her bloodstream._

_"Welcome, Generosity."_

_Her struggling paused for a moment, then her green-gold eyes grew wide as her body started spazzing in effort to reject the stone._

_Naida's screams rang out through the room._

I shivered at the memory, so long ago, but clear as if it had happened yestarday.

If only, if only.

* * *

**Sorry this took so LONG!!! I've been writing a lot, and kinda forgot to type it up. I now have 7 chapters, and no school tomorrow, so the next one should be up soon!**

**Review, onegai!! ^_^**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Nyaa! I'VE MISSED YOU, FANFICTION! I lost my laptop, but we are up and running again (until the battery dies)! I can't stop smiling! :D**

**So yeah... I can't believe I left off on chapter TWO (I have 9 now in my notebook)! BUT ENOUGH WITH MY POINTLESS RANTS! We will start as soon as the important matters are addressed:**

**Al: The Eighth Homonculus does not own the characters or the storyline of Fullmetal Alchemist. She only owns Nai, Aure, and Lucinda And other O.C.s that will appear later on.**

**Naida: Neko-sama does NOT OWN ME!**

**Ed: No one asked you, leprechaun! We would also like to thank our loyal readers for OVER A HUNDRED VIEWS! We love you al- I would never say that! Who wrote this?**

**Naida: Neko-sama did, stupid! AND I AM NOT A L-E-P-R-E-C-H-A-U-N!**

**Neko-sama: Congratulations on knowing how to spell, Nai. Now LET'S DO DIS! (Wait, this was kind of a rant... -_-")**

**Location: Central**

**Year: 1911**

**Age: 10 years**

I walked over to "Uncle Bradley"'s great big chair behind his great big desk and scrambled up onto it. "Well, it's too late now, and really, I'm fine."

If Aure still had his body, he would have ruffled my hair. He always used to do that.

"So, how about Edward? Doesn't he look a lot like Mr. Hoenheim? And he can transmute without a circle, just like me!" I chattered on, attempting to change the subject.

Aure laughed. "Nai, that's not something to be proud of. It means you've seen the Gate, you know."

"Yep!" I saw it the day Mr. Hoenheim transmuted the Philosopher's Stone out of me. I had know what going to the Gate meant: I had to offer something in exchange for seeing the Truth, whether I wanted to see it or not. Aure had explained it, and told me what to do: offer the Stone. I still regretted it, thinking it was a horrible thing to offer other peoples' souls to fix myself, but there was really no other choice in the matter. _I shouldn't think about this._ "So he looks like Mr. Hoenheim, right?"

"Alot like him. He even wears his hair long, like Dad." Aure laughed. "I could never stand it that long and always managed to hack it off one way or another. It always got in the way."

I patted my copper-colored pigtails where they were place high on my head to keep it out of the way. "I know what you mean."

"You know what who means?" I nearly jumped out of my skin at the unexpected voice behind me. I hopped to my feet to stand on the chair and spun around to see

a young man dressed in all black with long, spikey black hair, leaning against the wall with a sneer painted on his face.

"Whoa, Envy, you scared me!" I cried. When I gained my composure, I set my jaw. "What did you hear?"

"Just that last sentence." He shrugged, pushing himself off the wall. "So, who're you talking to?"

"My imaginary friend!" I huffed. Aure was one of the only things that I'd managed to keep secret from the hommunculi.

From their leader.

Thankfully they all thought Aure died that day six years ago, or else I'd be under lock and key and Momma would be dead. Not to mention they'd make sure Aure was dead this time.

Envy sauntered forward and grabbed the back of the chair, lowering his face until it was inches from my own. "You'll tell the truth sometime, midget." His voice was low and menacing.

"Not likely." I reached up and honked his nose, then brushed past him to hop off the chair. "See ya. They'll be looking for me and all." I waved and walked out as quickly and confidently as I could with my legs feeling like spaghetti.

That was a close one.

I had been wandering oddly empty hallways for a while when a voice called out, "Hey!" from behind me, followed by the sound of uneven running feet. I turned to see who it was, and to my surprise, Edward Elric was running towards me.

He stopped in front of me, leaning over to brace a gloved hand on a black-leather-clad knee as he panted. "You're Naida Bradley, right?"

"Yes?"

"Edward Elric." He held out his hand. "Everyone's looking for you since you ran off, and I decided to help. C'mon, I'll take you back."

I ignored his outstretched hand, leaning back on the wall with a sigh. "Why can't they leave me _alone _for eight seconds?"

He dropped his hand and leaned on the wall next to me. "Well, you are the Fuhrer's niece, and you're at high risk at being kidnapped. It's for your protection."

I brandished a fist. "I could take on any kidnapper!" I was dead serious, but he laughed. _Well I _do_have that affect on people._

"Come on." He pushed off the wall and stood, holding out his hand. His left, good. I could take it with my right and not have to explain the automail finger on my left hand.

We walked back down the hallway, and I spoke again. "You're acting different than before."

His gold eyes made their way to mine. "What do you mean?"

"You were acting all tough when the adults were around. Now you're being nice."

He shrugged. "I didn't notice."

I laughed. "Right. So how'd the assassination of my uncle go?"

Edward frowned. "Your uncle cut my spear in half while _you_ were causing a distration!"

"No fair! Colonel Mustang dropped me!"

"Colonel Mustang?"

"Yep. He's in charge of me." A silent question burned behind those golden eyes. "And I _do_ know about you, Edward Elric."

"What?" Fear flickered across his face before it was carefully masked by a stern expression. "What do you know?"

"How you lost your arm and leg, silly!" I flicked his left knee, and it made a clanging noise. Then, to Edward's horror, I started ticking off the ingredients to a... well, a p_articular_ transmutation. "Water, 35 liters. Ammonia, 4 liters. Phosphorous, 800 grams. Fluorine, 7.5 grams. Silicon, 3 grams. Carbon, 20 kilograms. Lime, 1.5 kilograms. Sodium, 250 grams. Sulfur, 80 grams. Iron, 5 grams. And trace amounts of 15 other elements." I grinned up at him. "Don't worry, I made a sacred promise not to tell." By that I meant _over ice cream_, but I'm sure Edward didn't know that.

He visibly relaxed, and we continued on in silence.

Soon we had turned another corner, and we ended up... Right back in front of the Fuhrer's office.

"Mr. Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we're lost."

I giggled. "And he came looking for me even though he didn't know his way around! And then we both got lost." I was walking in between Edward and Colonel Mustang, holding the latter's hand now; Edward had swiped his hand away and dug it into his pocket when the Colonel had found us.

"Really, now?" Colonel Mustang looked bemusedly at Edward, who averted his gaze.

We made it to the door of the Colonel's office, then stopped.

I slipped my hand out of Mustang's and stretched. "Well that was fun. We should do it again sometime. Bye!" I turned and ran down a hallway, stopping to look back and wave "Thanks for the help, Mr. Edward!" before continuing on.

I grinned to myself as I heard a panicked Colonel Mustang called after me, "Naida Bradley, get back here _right now_!". To Edward, he said, "You can wait in my office. I'll be back in a moment." Then I heard the pound of feet as he chased after me. I poured on the speed.

I could lose him, easy.

Edward:

Edward stood, deserted and a whole lot confused, in front of Colonel Mustang's office as he watched the high-ranking military officer chase after a small red-headed girl.

And the military man in question was losing ground.

_There's definitely something weird about her._ Edward thought as he stepped into the office.

He had been expecting to find it empty, but there was a blonde man with a cigarette in his mouth working at a small cluster of desks pushed together in the middle of the room. He looked up when Edward entered. "Oh, hi! You must be Edward Elric, right?" He held out his hand, which Ed shook. "I'm Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc. I work under the Colonel."

"Nice to meet you." Edward said, trying to act like an adult. He was only twelve, after all."Um, the Colonel told me to wait in here while he..."

"Hunts down Naida again?" Havoc guessed. Edward nodded and the Second Lieutenant laughed. "That little girl is running the Colonel ragged."

"She told me he was in charge of her." Edward sat down on a leather couch pushed to the side of the room. "Why is that?"

"Well, you see, her dad died a while ago and her mother, the Fuhrer's sister, went missing, probably kidnapped. Poor Nai was only four. And she was venerable to being kidnapped herself, being the Fuhrer's niece and all, so we were assigned her bodyguards." Havoc frowned. "The problem is, she seems mortally afraid of her uncle and won't go near him, so she's living with Lieutenant Hawkeye at the moment."

Edward tried to pictur that rambunctious, disobediant little girl living under the same roof as that strict military woman and failed. Miserably.

"So now the Colonel is Chief Nanny, which doesn't really ride with him well. We're all afraid if we upset her, we'll lose are jobs."

"Is that why everyone went nuts when she fell off the wall?" Edward asked, trying to fit the pieces together.

"No." Havoc laughed. "We 'went nuts' when she ran off. She's always trying to be alone, but we can't let her, because as her bodyguards we have to protect her every second. And she's really good at getting lost and being found by her uncle, which is another blow to our jobs."

"Hm." Edward was processing the information that had just been given to him. It seemed to stack up, but there was still something wrong about her. Then he remembered something. When she had been running from the Colonel, her steps had sounded uneven, like one of her legs was shorter than the other. "Does she have automail?"

Havoc made an awed face, obviously wondering how Edward had figured it out. "Yes, her right leg from about halfway down her thigh down."

"How'd she lose it?"

"She only ever says 'bite' when we ask, so we suspect she had an extremely infected animal bite and had it amputated. But the Fuhrer won't tell us. And she also is missing the little finger on her left hand, which she claims she was born without."

_Well that's odd._ Edward thought.

Just then, Colonel Mustang stepped into the room and shut the door, the redheaded menace in question slung over his shoulder.

Naida:

"Put me _down!"_ I cried, pounding my fists on Colonel Mustang's back.

Pros and Cons of Your Growth Being Five Years Behind You:

Pros: Can run away easily; weaving through crowds, hiding in small places

Cons: Small enough to be _lifted_ and carried back easily

"Don't run off again, then." I could _hear_ the smirk in the colonel's voice.

"Fine, just... ugh!" I continued to flail my fists at his back, wishing they were bigger, heavier. Full automail, maybe? I noticed 2nd Lieutenant Havoc and Edward snickering at me from behind their hands. "Stop laughing!" I cried, wiggling my ankle free of the colonel's firm grasp. I pulled myself up onto his shoulder, then jumped, landing in a crouch.

I stood up with a snug smirk, feeling six shocked eyes on my back. I made my way to the leather couch shoved in the corner and picked up my alchemy book. I flopped down and kicked my feet up onto the cushion next to me. I didn't really care what they were thinking, as long as they stopped laughing.

I tuned out the talking of the guys, consulting the book. It had been rough to decode, especially not being able to write it out without the Colonel asking what I was up to, but I had finally got it. You see, alchemists never hand you information on a transmuted silver platter: there's a great amount of secrecy, because really, alchemy is dangerous. They encode their research notes, and example being the Colonel's long, long list of just women's names. These notes were in the form of a cookbook. I squinted at one oage in particular.

If I was right, this page said something like "All alchemists know that the First Matter also exists in the human body as the eternal star we call the soul, but most don't know that this can be accessed by any sort of transmutation to the flesh."

I blinked. The first thing you learn when studying alchemy is how there is a substance called 'First Matter' which was the main ingredient for the Philosopher's Stone. But not many people knew how to get to it. And this author, Tim...something..., had hit the nail on the head: that's how ya get it.

Human transmutation.

How the _hell_ did this book end up in Central library?

It was about a week later when Edward got his test results, along with a silver pocket watch and a certificate naming him the 'Fullmetal Alchemist'. HE was going home th Resembool to get his brother, then come back to Central to start his career as a dog of the military.

So the two of us were sitting in the back of a military car headed for the train station. Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye were up front, the three of us making up Edward's seeing—off party.

Edward and I were bantering back and forth, but having a serious conversation on the side.

"But Edoo, I'm gonna _miss_ you!" I scribbled out a note, passing the scrap of paper and ballpoint pen to him. _What did they tell you about me?_

"Jeez, Nai, you're such a clingy little kid!" He passed it back to me. _That you're five, lost your parents a year ago and refuse to live with your uncle. Where did you learn to write?_

"Well excuse me, Mr. Almighty State Alchemist, for being the only kid around!" _Hm? I learned from my dad. Can I trust you?_

"Well soon you'll have Al to play with, and I can stop babysitting!" _What do you mean?_

"Jerk! What's Alphonse like? I hope he's nicer than you!" _I'm keeping your secret. Do you want mine? As equivalent exchange?_

"Brat! Speak to your _elders _with respect! And you've made me describe Al a million times!" _You're one weird kid, you know that? XD Sure, that makes sense._

I pouted. "I like the way you describe him!" _Thanks._

"You're so annoying!" He turned ato stare out the window, face on fist. _Well?_

"Take that back!" _Later._

"I would, but then I'd be _lying!_"

I swiped back the note and stuffed it in my pocket as we pulled into the train station.

I made a face, unable to reach the train window Ed was leaning out of. The Colonel, who had been talking to Ed, seemed to have noticed: he smirked down at me. "Need a boost?"

"No!" A week ago I would've accepted that boost, but I liked imitating Ed and was trying to plan a short rant. Plus, the last 'boost' ended with a huge lump on my head. Instead, I grabbed Edward's wrists that were resting on the window sill and used them to pull myself up the train wall. Isquared my shoulders to brace myself against gravity.

"So, what's your big secret you wanted to tell me?" Ed tried to say seriously. He must have thought it wasn't anything serious, because everything in a five-year-old's life was serious to that five-year-old. At least he lowered his voice so the others couldn't hear.

"Right here." I let go of the windowsill with my right hand to reach towards my pocket, but I shifted my weight too much and teetered a bit.

I could have rightened myself easily, but in a split second I was steadied by Ed holding my elbows, the Colonel under my arms, and the Lieutenant holding my waist.

I made my best annoyed face and let go of the train windowsill, dropping lightly to the ground after that split second of suspension in the air by the three of them. "jeez, you guys are a bit too over protective..."

Roy shrugged, Riza said nothing, and Ed smirked. "I don't wanna lose my job before I've had it a week!" the latter said. "Now give the train schedule back!"

Taking the hint, I handed him my folded up secret letter.

Edward:

Ed sat back in his seat and began to unfold Naida's letter to pass the time on his second, and hopefully last, lone train ride.

_Edo,_

_I'm not sure how much they told you about me. But whatever it was was wrong. It's not they're fault, they don't know._

_They probably told you that I'm five, lost my parents last year, that I refuse to live with Uncle Bradley, and... well I'm not sure what they think happened to my leg. _

Ed remembered Havoc hadn't been sure, but thought Naida had her leg amputated for an infected animal bite.

_I guess I'll go backwards from there._

_My leg: Whatever they think, I'm sure they didn't even _guess _this: It was bitten CLEAN OFF by a . . .very large animal (some creatures in Amestris are SCARY!). And yeah, born without my little finger._

_My uncle: Heh. They're on the dot on that one._

_My parents: My dad left before anyone knew I existed and my mom died when I was born. I was raised by my grandmother until I was three, then was adopted when she died. My adopted parents are the ones you were told about. My adopted mother (Uncle Bradley's sister) was kidnapped six years ago, and my adoptive father ISN'T dead._

_My age: I know, I know. "How can her adoptive mother be kidnapped six years ago when she's only five?" Well I have this pituitary gland – you know what that is, right? The thingy that makes growth hormones? - problem, so I'm five years behind on growing. I'm growing again now, but I'm ten, not five. I pretend to make it easier on everyone. Don't tell, okay?_

_Sorry to dump all that on you, but I know your secrets, and now you know mine. Equivalent exchange, right? But I'm no good with alchemy (they won't let me try it), so it's only a theory to me._

_Could you teach me sometime?_

_-Naida_

_((P.S.: Burn this when you're done reading? Thanks.))_

Edward saw that after the P.S. She had drawn a little transmutation circle to put the paper into flames, with a little arrow pointing to it.

_Not that you need that. _

**Right as I typed Ed saying "It's for your protection" my bro leaned over my shoulder and said "That's what he said!" -_-"**

**Ed: Thanks for reading, we lo- WHY THE HELL WOULD I EVER SAY THAT? STOP WRITIING ME SAYING THIS CRAP! *storms off to have a diva tantrum***

**Neko-sama: Stuff it, Chibi-san. *dodges flying boat* ANYWAYS...Thank you for reading! Questions? Comments? Did I mess something important up? Or am I doing a good job? Review, please!**

**3**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **

**Hi there, readers! I have some important news for any of you who actually like this story and want to keep reading it:**

**I've decided there are a few things that need changing in this story so it makes more sense. It doesn't mean I'm _stopping_, per say, just starting over. I'm going to leave this up, though, because honestly I like it a lot.**

**But it could be better...**

**So if you want to continue reading the leprechaun's adventures, go to my profile. A new story, titled "Scarlet and Gold" will appear some time this week.**

**Peace! ~ Neko**


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